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Japan Sends, Retracts Text-Message Alert Over North Korean Missile

Updated 01.16.18 7:07AM ET / Published 01.16.18 6:45AM ET

KCNA via Reuters

Japan’s national broadcaster sent out—then retracted—an emergency text-message alert warning of a North Korean missile launch on Tuesday. NHK News told Japanese residents to evacuate and seek shelter before realizing it was a false alarm. There was no immediate explanation for the mistake, but the close call echoed the panic in Hawaii just days earlier over an accidental government alert. Hawaii’s emergency-management department apologized Saturday after an unnamed employee pressed the wrong button during a routine drill.